


Rhythm.EXE

by AerinStrifeVII



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-04-25 05:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4947997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerinStrifeVII/pseuds/AerinStrifeVII
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a pair of well-known scientists get caught in an accident and leave their injured daughter to continue with their legacy, the Net Saviors get unwittingly pulled into research that might change their society forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pianos and Proposals

“Ah, Enzan-kun, you’re here early.”

Ijuuin Enzan looked up from his PET into the gaze of Hikari Yuuichirou. “Hikari-hakase. Yes, I had another meeting that ended earlier than I expected…”

“That’s nice,” The brilliant scientist seemed distracted, replying to the younger teen with a rather disinterested air. Enzan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

After a moment, the younger boy spoke up. “Hikari-hakase, is something wrong?”

The brunette blinked, focusing again on the young Net Official. “I’m sorry, Enzan-kun. I guess I’m a little stressed out about this meeting with your father’s company.” He ran his hands through his hair, chuckling. “I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but there’s a project that means quite a lot to me and it needs additional funds…”

Enzan shook his head. “It’s best if you don’t tell me then.” He knew business too well—he didn’t want to have any information that could be used against the scientist later on.

Yuuichirou nodded, giving a slight bow that was more instinct than formality. “I apologize. You are correct, Enzan-kun. And speaking of the meeting, we should head up soon.”

“Yeah.”

The two headed to the elevators in silence. However, as the platform began ascending towards their destination, Enzan noticed a strange noise echoing from the sound vents.

The scientist heard it too. “Is that music…?”

“It sounds like piano.” Enzan commented. “But where--”

Without warning, Yuuichirou slammed on the elevator panel, his eyes wide. Enzan jumped, surprised by the sudden movement and jolt as the doors opened on the next floor. “Hikari-hakase?!” He stammered as the older man stepped off.

“I-I’m sorry, Enzan-kun. I might be at the meeting a little late. Can you tell them?” Without waiting for a reply from the boy, the scientist sprinted down the hallway towards the stairwell.

Enzan could only watch as the elevator door shut in front of him. After it had started moving normally again, he pulled out his PET. “Blues?”

The red Net Navi gave a slight shrug. “We should forward his message to the board.”

\--

“I apologize for arriving late,” Hikari Yuuichirou gave a deep bow to the members of the board. “Something came up in the medical lab downstairs.”

“That’s quite all right, Hikari-hakase. We had just finished introductions.” Eguchi Meijin—with his lab coat buttoned over his t-shirt to feign formality—waved the latecomer towards an empty seat.

Enzan eyed the older scientist carefully from his seat across the table. ‘ _Piano music from the medical lab_?’ Yuuichirou was busy adjusting his glasses and opening his folder full of notes, but glanced up and met the boy’s gaze with an uneasy grin. Enzan averted his gaze and returned his attention to the front of the table, where his father sat.

Ijuuin Shuuseki began addressing the objectives of the meeting, including funds his company would allocate towards certain SciLab projects. Enzan wasn’t really paying attention—he had gone over the folder beforehand and already knew most of what his father was going to say.

After his father had taken a seat and a member of SciLab had stepped up, Enzan tapped a few swift commands into his PET. Sure, he might be in an important meeting, but that wasn’t about to stop him from getting his other tasks done. Blues acknowledged the text with a nod and disappeared to carry them out. Enzan set the PET down and glanced up, his eyes finding Yuuichirou’s once more.

The scientist didn’t turn away from the boy—on the contrary, he held the young vice president’s gaze. Enzan frowned, as the words they had shared prior to the meeting echoed through his mind.

‘ _There’s a project that means quite a lot to me and it needs additional funds_ …’

“…And while we shall continue developing our improvements to the PETs, there is another project that has been long delayed that can now be funded.”

Enzan blinked as Yuuichirou stood up, taking over. “Yes, this project has been put on the back-burner for a while. It has the potential to greatly increase our medical capabilities and aid those whose bodies are incapable of running without assistance.”

“’Incapable of running without assistance’?” Shuuseki looked rather skeptical. “You mean invalids and the bedridden?”

“…Yes, this technology—if allowed to progress—would be an outstanding leap in both the scientific and medical fields. It is… research on uploading the human consciousness onto the Net.”

“Integrating computer data and the human mind, you say…?”

“This would allow us to access the human neurological systems with minimal damage to the brain itself, or even aid the physical body with functions it is unable to do.” Meijin added.

Enzan decided to speak up. “I’m not sure I understand.” He avoided Yuuichirou’s gaze carefully, instead directing his question back to the last person who had spoken. “How would computerized data be able to assist the physical human body or the mind?”

Meijin remained silent, instead glancing back at his superior, Yuuichirou. The brown-haired scientist answered without missing a beat. “Let’s say, hypothetically, you have a patient with a nervous system disorder that makes them permanently bedridden. With our research, we would theoretically be able to utilize computer data and make it so the brain—that is connected to a form of wireless, electronic support—is perfectly functional, ideally curing the person entirely or making it possible for them to function in a more ‘normal’ environment.”

Enzan could see the excitement behind all the scientists’ eyes—all of SciLab seemed wholly invested in the project. However, the look in Yuuichirou’s eyes was more than just excitement—it held a fire, a yearning behind it.

“That seems like a viable project to invest in, but is there any data that can substantiate there will be any results?” Shuuseki folded his arms, obviously still wary about putting funding into what would be an incredibly costly project.

Yuuichirou opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out. His expression had abruptly changed to one of eager anticipation to pain.

Meijin stepped in smoothly to fill the silence. “There were experiments on this field of research before, but after an accident they were put on hold.”

“An accident?”

“Ahem, actually that was debunked.” Yuuichirou joined in again after clearing his throat, pulling up a screen on the holographic projector for everyone to see. “The incident was considered to be an accident at first, but upon further research, it was discovered to be an attack by Gospel and their affiliations.”

Enzan blinked, his eyes skimming the article that the scientist had displayed. On it, there was an image of a man who looked strikingly similar to the scientist in front of him and Enzan immediately understood why Yuuichirou had gotten choked up.

“The Electopia Lab Incident involved the two scientists Yuuta and Kazuna Hikari. They were doing research and running a test when the explosion and subsequent fire occurred, claiming both of their lives.” Meijin’s voice softened as he explained, shooting a sympathetic glance at his superior and friend.

Yuuichirou had regained his composure. “My brother and his wife’s experiments were put on hold after the incident, but their research about converting the human consciousness still remains. With the improved technology we have now, there is the possibility that we can save lives--”

“By transferring the consciousness and converting it into data?” Shuuseki interrupted. “Theoretically, the idea holds water. However, most people won’t consider that being ‘saved’.”

“That’s true,” Yuuichirou responded calmly. “If this project were to pass, we would first use the technology to transfer the human consciousness into a temporary source so we can fully devote our work to repairing the original body without the danger of harming the mental capacities.”

“And if the body is deemed irreparable?”

“Then that would be up to each individual and their family to decide.” Meijin replied.

“In a worst-case scenario, where the person’s body was beyond repair, the person’s consciousness would remain as data,” Yuuichirou pulled up several more screens showing graphics and images that further explained his words. “In that case, we would be able to create a program that would permanently store the data.”

“So… It would be something similar to a Net Navi?” Enzan asked. The concept was hard to believe.

“Exactly, Enzan-kun.” Meijin confirmed. “Ijuuin-sama, while it’s true that most people won’t consider being a Net Navi the same as being alive, I’m confident that many would also agree that it is better than the alternative.”

Shuuseki nodded thoughtfully. Enzan chanced another glance at Yuuichirou, who had finally taken a seat. The scientist appeared calm, but the glaring anxiety was still present. He felt a pang of sympathy for the older man, but he forced his gaze to remain even.

“Hikari-hakase, do you have enough data on this to run an experiment?” Shuuseki asked.

The scientist nodded immediately. “I have enough to run several tests, yes.”

“Enzan.” Shuuseki said.

“Yes?” The boy turned back to his father.

“In order to approve funding for this project, I will need more information. Hikari-hakase, I will have my vice president sit in on the experiment and depending on his report, I will determine whether or not to continue funding this project of yours.”

Yuuichirou’s eyes shone with hope, but the scientist kept his expression neutral. “Yes, thank you.”


	2. Intruder Alert

“Enzan-sama.”

Enzan blinked sleepily, reaching blindly for his PET. ‘ _3:48AM… what the hell_?’ He cleared his throat. “Blues?”

“You have a message from SciLab, Enzan-sama.”

That caught the teen’s attention immediately. With a grunt, he forced himself into a sitting position and rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes. “What does it say?”

Blues replied, speaking a little slower so his sleep-ridden Operator wouldn’t miss anything. “There’s been a breach in SciLab. Apparently some important data has gotten out.”

Enzan’s eyes narrowed as he stood and began changing into his everyday wear. “’Gotten out’?” He repeated. “You mean it wasn’t stolen?”

Blues nodded. Good, Enzan was more alert than he thought. He began talking normally. “Yes, Enzan-sama, the data wasn’t stolen from SciLab. It seems to have… Left of its own accord.”

Enzan pulled his shirt over her head, still looking perplexed. “A program going AWOL… Doesn’t sound like anything terribly urgent.” His voice was muffled as he stuck his head out.

Blues nodded. “However, the message was sent by Hikari-hakase.”

Enzan sighed. The scientist wouldn’t have bothered him with something trivial. He grabbed his PET and headed for the door. “Let’s go, Blues.”

“Yes, Enzan-sama.”

\-----

“Papa!!”

Yuuichirou turned to see his son Netto race in, followed closely by Ijuuin Enzan.

“There you are. I’m sorry to contact you so early in the morning… This couldn’t wait, though…”

“What couldn’t, Papa?” Netto asked, stiling a yawn. “What’s the data we’re going after?”

Yuuichirou folded his arms. “It’s very difficult to explain, but there’s some data that used to be confined in SciLab’s medical database that is roaming around the mainframe. The data is pretty unstable, but it needs to be collected before it can get into any trouble or get out of the system…”

“That shouldn’t be too hard. Right, Rockman?” Netto pulled out his PET, addressing the blue Navi within it.

“Yeah, Netto-kun.”

Enzan glanced down at his PET as well. “Ready, Blues?”

“Yes, Enzan-sama.”

“I’m linking you to the area the data was last traced to. You should be able to follow it from there.” Yuuichirou opened the link and ushered the boys forward.

“Plug-in, Rockman.EXE--” Netto swung his arm around.

“Blues--” Enzan took a deep breath and pointed his PET towards the computer.

“Transmission!”

Rockman and Blues arrived in SciLab’s computer and Rockman immediately pulled up the link, searching for the data pattern Yuuichirou had described. “I think this is it.”

“Looks that way.” Blues nodded in agreement and the two headed off towards the next area.

After running in silence for a few moments, the two stopped as they spotted a cloaked figure across the platforms.

“Is that it?” Rockman frowned, brandishing his buster in case it was hostile.

Blues nodded, drawing his blade as well. “It’s got the same data trace on it.”

The grey figure kept progressing, not noticing the two Navis observing it.

Rockman jogged towards it. “Hey!”

“Ah,” The cloak whipped around, and the figure gave a sharp cry before sprinting away.

“W-wait!” Rockman and Blues raced after it, following it into the next area.

In the real world, Enzan turned to Yuuichirou. “It’s a Net Navi?”

Yuuichirou looked bewildered. “I didn’t think… The data must’ve found a stray program and adapted to it…”

“Blues, hurry.” Enzan turned his attention back to his PET.

“Yes, Enzan-sama.” Blues put on a burst of speed, catching up easily.

“Area steal, slot-in!” Enzan transmitted the chip smoothly to his Navi.

Blues appeared in front of the figure and it stumbled to a halt, falling backwards in surprise. “Ah!!” The figure’s voice pitched an octave. “N-no!! Don’t hurt me!”

“Blues, your sword.” Enzan realized that the Navi was terrified by Blues’ intimidating appearance.

Blues dissolved the sword immediately and Rockman—who had just caught up—did the same with his buster. “I apologize for startling you.”

“I-I knew I shouldn’t have come back.” Under the grey cloak, there was a sea-green Navi cowering, not listening to the red Navi’s reassurances. “I can’t stay here!”

“Wait!” Blues and Rockman lunged, only a moment too late.

“Plug-out!” There was a flood of data, and Blues and Rockman straightened out, both looking stunned.

Yuuichirou’s eyes widened as the pixels of information dissipated. “That’s not possible… How…?” He pulled up a screen on the computer, doing another data search of the area.

Beep! Beep! A loud hum suddenly echoed in the room, making everyone jump.

“An intrusion alarm… What now?!” Yuuichirou snapped. “I’m pulling up the security feed.”

The boys and the scientist began scanning the wide layout of SciLab for the source of the disturbance.

“There,” Enzan pointed out the section of the map, where doors were opening of their own accord.

“That’s coming from… the medical facility!” Yuuichirou exclaimed. “But that means…” He swiftly typed a code into the computer. “Dimensional Area, activate!” Yuuichirou’s hands were shaking as he executed the command.

“A dimensional area…?” Netto looked confused.

“That way, the person intruding can’t get out.” Enzan retrieved Blues from SciLab’s computer and ran for the door.

“Right, Enzan-kun, check the East wing, Netto, get the West. I’ll go downstairs, closer to the Medical Wing.” Yuuichirou was hot on Enzan’s heels, directing them before disappearing down the stairwell.

Enzan took a right turn at the end of the hall, and he heard Netto’s footsteps echoing in the opposite direction behind him. “Blues, are there any more disturbances in the security system?”

“There is activity on this floor, heading towards the East exit. Be careful, Enzan-sama.” Blues replied.

Enzan cursed under his breath, willing himself to run faster. At this rate, they would reach the exit before he would. ‘Hikari-hakase was right to put up the Dimensional Area…’

Enzan flew into the door, the air leaving his lungs in a rush as he forced it open. “Hey, stop!”

There was a flash of light near the barrier, followed by a high-pitched scream. Enzan’s determination melted into horror as he realized what he was seeing.

A girl in a medical dressing gown was lying on the ground in front of the barrier, having been shocked into unconsciousness by the rebound from the Dimensional Area.

“Blues, contact Hikari-hakase!” Enzan gently lifted the girl in his arms, checking her pulse. She was about his age, and the features on her face were hauntingly familiar.

Before the white-haired teen could look into it, a beeping noise caught his attention. “A… PET?” The girl was clutching an old, plug-style PET in her hands. Enzan noted with some disturbance that the cord of the PET was threaded into the arm sleeve of her dressing gown.

‘Is the PET connected to… her?’ He thought incredulously.

“Enzan-kun!”

He gave a start and looked up in time to see Yuuichirou kneel beside him, out of breath. “You found her, thank goodness.” The scientist took the girl in his arms. “Let’s get her back to the Medical Wing.”

\-----

“So… Papa, who is that?” Netto hovered over his father’s shoulder as the scientist typed commands rapidly into the computer. The three were in the room overlooking the Medical Wing, watching the girl from above as various machines beeped around her.

“It’s just… There are a lot of things that I can’t explain… I’m sorry, Netto, but until I figure out what happened myself, I won’t be able to tell you anything.”

Netto sat back, looking a little disheartened. “That’s okay. But will she be all right?”

Yuuichirou paused in his typing, looking sad. “…We’ll see.”

Netto’s frown grew even deeper.

“Netto-kun,” Rockman’s voice said softly. “You have an exam at school tomorrow morning, so maybe we should head back.”

The brunette sighed. “Okay. Papa, can we go home?”

Yuuichirou nodded. “It’ll be a while before she wakes up, but if anything changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Yeah.” Netto brightened a little. “See you, Papa, Enzan.”

After he had left, Enzan cleared his throat quietly.

“Enzan-kun, you can leave too if you’d like.” Yuuichirou said gently.

“Can I ask one question first, Hikari-hakase?”

“Of course.”

Enzan was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to word his inquiry. “She was a patient in the medical wings, so… What is her suffering from?”

The two looked down at the girl. She was frail and her skin was so pale it made Enzan seem like he had a healthy tan.

Yuuichirou sighed, turning away from the keyboard as it ran several more tests. “Her name is Reiko and until tonight, she was in a coma.”

“Reiko-san…” Enzan echoed. “How long had she been in a coma?”

“…About five months.”

“What?!” The white-haired boy exclaimed.

“I can understand your shock,” Yuuichirou nodded. “I have no idea why she suddenly woke up after so much time…”

Enzan nodded. “I see.”

Yuuichirou gave him a funny look. “I’ll contact you if anything else happens.”

That had the white-haired boy shrugging. “That’s not really necessary, but all right. I’ll be going now, Hikari-hakase.”

“Yes, thank you for your help, Enzan-kun.”

 


	3. Enter Reiko

It was almost a week before Hikari Netto heard from his father.

“Netto-kun.”

“Ugh, five more minutes…”

“NETTO-KUN, WAKE UP!” Rockman’s shrill voice rang in Netto’s ears, making him wince.

“Rockman… all right, all right…” Netto sat up slowly, yawning and stretching. He lazily checked the clock and gave a yelp. “What… why did you wake me up at 6:30, Rockman?! It’s too early!”

Before Netto could go on an early morning rampage, Rockman cut him off. “Because Papa’s downstairs, asking for you.”

Netto sobered up immediately. “Oh, Papa? Cool.”

“You better hurry, Netto-kun. Papa’s always busy.”

Netto forced himself to his feet. “I know, I know…” Not even bothering to change, he bounded down the stairs. However, the sight in the kitchen had him grinding to a halt.

“Oh,” Yuuichirou turned and gave his son a smile. “There you are, Netto.”

“Uh… hi.” A strange girl sitting at the dining room table gave him an uneasy smile.

Netto’s face flushed as he realized he was still in his pajamas and he chuckled sheepishly. “H-hi.”

Yuuichirou laughed. “Netto, this might be a little shocking, but I’d like you to meet Hikari Reiko.”

Reiko bowed slightly towards him.

“Hikari…?” Netto echoed.

“Yes, she’s your cousin. And, she’s also the girl you and Enzan-kun helped find in SciLab the other night.”

“Wait, really?!” Netto asked, his face brightening. “So you’re okay now, right?”

Reiko gave him a shy nod, keeping her eyes fixed on her lap and fiddling with the bulky, rather odd-looking wrist cuffs on her arms. “I’m feeling better, yeah. Sorry for causing you so much trouble...”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all! We’re so happy to have you here, Reiko-chan!” Haruka—Netto’s mother and Yuuichirou’s wife—began fussing over the younger girl.

Yuuichirou turned back to his son. “Reiko-chan doesn’t have a place to stay, so we’ll be letting her stay in the spare room next to yours.”

“Oh, sure,” Netto shrugged. “That’s cool.”

Reiko looked down at her hands again, obviously overwhelmed by all the attention she was getting. She glanced, meeting Netto’s gaze for the first time. He gave a start, speaking involuntarily.

“Rockman…?”

“Eh? What is it, Netto-kun?” The Navi chimed from his PET.

“Uh, sorry. It’s just… Reiko-chan, your eyes look exactly like Rock’s!” Netto laughed.

Yuuichirou and Haruka exchanged glances. “Yes, that’s because I programmed Rockman to have the same eye color as my brother.” Yuuichirou said lightly.

“Really?” Netto asked. “I’ve never heard of him before.”

Haruka gave a soft sigh, but it was Reiko who answered. “That’s because my parents both died in a lab accident a few years back.”

Netto stepped back. “A-ah, I’m sorry…”

“Your aunt and uncle were scientists, just like me… So with all of our schedules, we never got around to visiting them before... They worked in one of the labs in Electopia, where they lived.” Yuuichirou added gently.

“Oh,” Netto nodded thoughtfully.

“Reiko-chan, now that Netto is awake, why don’t I show you to your room?” Haruka broke the sad silence and ushered the girl upstairs. As soon as they were gone, however, Rockman quietly spoke up.

“Hey, Papa?”

Netto lifted the PET so his father could address the Navi directly.

“Yes, Rockman, what is it?”

“Uh, Reiko-chan’s parents… When did… When was the accident?”

Yuuichirou’s gaze suddenly sharpened. “Rockman…”

Netto frowned. “Papa? Rock, what is it?”

The Navi’s expression looked so sad. “Netto-kun… During the time that Gospel was causing trouble, the NetBoards flooded with a lot of news on an explosion and fire that happened at a lab in Electopia…”

Netto felt his blood run cold. “W-wait, you mean…?”

Rockman gave Yuuichirou a beseeching look. “Papa, is it true? Is that the same accident that killed Reiko-chan’s parents… Some of our family?”

Yuuichirou sighed, closing his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Netto shook his head. “But that means… Did Gospel…” He felt a little unsteady and he sat down. “If Gospel was the one that killed them… Rock…”

Rockman didn’t reply.

“Rock… Could we have done something? If we had stopped Gospel sooner, then--”

Yuuichirou’s voice cut him off immediately and Netto flinched, looking up to see his father’s shocked and angry expression. “No, Netto. Don’t do that. This wasn’t your fault. Saito, Netto, look at me.” He gently grasped his son’s shoulders and also blinked down earnestly at the PET, using the Navi’s real name.

“You two had _nothing_ to do with this. It was just… A very unfortunate coincidence.” The scientist needed his sons to understand this--he had shouldered the burden of his brother’s death for too long and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if they felt that guilt too.

Netto and Rockman exchanged sad glances, but after several moments they both nodded. “Okay, Papa… Thanks.”

 

 

 

 


	4. Experiments

Reiko spent the next couple of days recovering at the Hikari household. She helped Haruka—who insisted that Reiko call her auntie, or ‘Oba-chan’—around the house and even helped with a little cooking when she was feeling better.

However, after about a week, Reiko left with Netto to go visit SciLab and talk more with Yuuichirou.

“Hey, Reiko-chan.”

“Hm? Rock-kun, what’s up?” They were on the subway, speeding along towards SciLab. Reiko had been spending most of her time at home hanging out with Netto and meeting his friends (and their Navis), so she had picked up a lot of their nicknames already. In addition, it became apparent to Netto and Rockman that her manner of speaking around adults was completely different than when she was just with them.

“Why did you want to go visit the labs?”

Reiko shrugged her shoulders, but she answered regardless of her physical reaction. “I wanted to ask Hikari-hakase about a lot of things… Mainly, about my PET.”

“Right, you have a really old model…” Netto nodded down at her device. Next to his slimmer, streamlined model, her blocky plug-style PET and medical braces seemed hilariously clunky. “I’ll be Papa will be able to upgrade you to a newer model, no problem!”

“Reiko-chan… Another thing…”

“Sure, Rock-kun.”

“You don’t have a Net Navi, do you?”

“Ah, nope…” Reiko shook her head, although she looked a little wistful. “My PET’s only for medical purposes, to monitor my health and stuff like that. There’s not enough space on the hard drive for a Net Navi, so I never got one.”

Netto brightened. “Well, when Papa upgrades you, I bet he can program you a Navi, too!!”

“Yeah, that would be great!” Rockman added, looking excited.

“We would be able to teach you how to Netbattle, and then your Navi would be able to visit Net City…”

Reiko smiled at their enthusiasm. “That sounds like fun.”

\-----

Once the trio had reached SciLab, it became apparent that they would have to wait a while. The entire complex seemed to be bustling with activity.

“I wonder what’s going on…” Netto speculated, heading to the guest viewing area.

“Maybe a huge experiment? Papa did mention something to Mama about some new funding coming in…” Rockman replied.

“What? When?”

“During dinner a few days ago, Netto-kun.” Even hidden in Netto’s belt cinch, Rockman’s exasperation was clear and Reiko huffed out a laugh.

The three sat at the benches overlooking the main facility, deciding to check out what the big commotion was about. The experiment seemed to revolve around a pair of helmets connected to a series of monitors.

After several moments of watching the scientists running tests and prepping, Reiko leaned towards Netto and pointed to the other side of the testing area.

“Look, over there,” She gave a short nod.

“Ah, Papa!!” Netto waved excitedly at his father, but the older man was too preoccupied with his work to notice.

Suddenly, the speakers buzzed and the scientist’s voice echoed over the intercom. “Beginning the test. All staff on standby…”

Netto and Reiko fell silent, watching as two scientists sat down and placed the helmets on their heads. After several moments of silence, the monitors suddenly lit up. Most were displaying what appeared to be brain waves and vital signs of the two scientists connected to it.

But the center screen seemed to be displaying the Net.

“What…?” Reiko’s eyebrows knitted together and she opened her mouth to speak.

“Yo, Netto! What brings you here?”

The two teens jumped and Netto grinned. “Hey, Meijin-san!”

“Enough with the formalities,” The older man rattled off, just like he always did. “Anyways, are you here to see Hikari-hakase?”

“Yeah, but we can wait until Papa’s done with his experiment.”

“You probably won’t be waiting too long. This is the third trial we’ve done and we’ll be taking a break to compile all the research.” Meijin offered. “And… are you Hikari Reiko-chan?”

“W-well…” Reiko looked a little taken aback, switching to her more formal, shy mannerisms. “Yes, I am…”

Meijin gave her a friendly smile. “Ah, I’m sorry. I’m Eguchi Meijin, one of Hikari-hakase’s assistants. He’s mentioned you before, you see.”

“Oh, okay.” Reiko relaxed. “It’s nice to meet you, Meijin-san.”

Before the scientist could interject with his normal catchphrase, Netto was speaking again. “What’s Papa working on down there?”

“Ah, this… Well, we have two scientists down there connected to the computers, with that center monitor displaying what they are seeing through their eyes.”

“So that monitor… The scientists are on the Net?” Rockman asked.

“Right now, they’re in a specialized area. We aren’t quite capable of getting them fully onto the Net, but that’s our end objective.”

“So… You’re trying to get humans onto the Net?” Netto frowned, working his brain around Meijin’s words.

“…Not humans.” Reiko murmured, her wide eyes on the monitor. “But a human’s consciousness.”

Meijin gave the girl a look. “Yes, Reiko-chan, that’s correct.”

There was a loud buzz and their conversation was cut short as the trial came to an end. The monitors shut down and the scientists removed their helmets, helped by others. They seemed disoriented.

“Netto-kun, Reiko-chan, you can come with me. I’ll take you directly to Hikari-hakase.” Meijin had also gotten to his feet, waving the two teens forward.


	5. Back-ups and Breaks

“Papa!!” They didn’t have to wait long for the scientist to return to his office and Netto, as excitable as always, was first on his feet to greet his father.

“Hi, Netto. What brings you here? And Reiko-chan too!” Yuuichirou smiled.

“Well, Reiko wanted to talk to you, but then we saw that awesome experiment earlier!” Netto immediately began chattering. “Are you really going to get people onto the Net? Did it work out all right? Can I try?”

Yuuichirou laughed. “Calm down, Netto. The experiment is still in very early development, so we won’t be able to tell if it’ll work for a long while…” He gently ruffled his son’s hair before turning to his niece. “Reiko-chan, you wanted to ask me something?”

“Mmhm…” She nodded, suddenly feeling timid. “But now I have a few more questions, too…”

“Of course. Where would you like to begin?”

Netto burst out before the girl could answer. “Reiko needs a new PET, Papa!”

Rockman sighed. “Netto-kun! Don’t interrupt!”

Yuuichirou’s smile didn’t falter, however. “Ah, yes. I’ve actually been working on that for a while now.”

“Awesome!! Papa, did you program a Net Na--”

“Netto-kun!” Rockman cut off his Operator again.

“Ah… T-thank you so much.” Reiko bowed her head, surprised.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Like his niece, Yuuichirou decided to gently ignore Netto and Rockman, who had begun bickering. “In fact, Meijin, can I get a hand? I can transfer that data now, if you’d like.”

“Of course, Hikari-hakase.”

\-----

The two scientists began setting up Yuuichirou’s computer for a major data transfer and Netto logged in Rockman for extra assistance. While they were working, Yuuichirou quietly turned to his niece.

“Is everything all right, Reiko-chan?”

She met his gaze shyly, fiddling with her bracelets. “Uh… The experiment you were working on earlier... That… It was my mom and dad’s research, right?”

Yuuichirou pursed his lips together, looking a little sad. “I’m surprised you recognized it. As you know, their research was put on hold after the explosion…”

Reiko nodded. “They thought it was a malfunction that caused the computer to overheat so they scrapped the project…”

“Well, with the progression of technology and the investigation that showed it was actually Gospel that caused it… We decided to continue their project.” The scientist continued speaking even as he typed in various commands into his computer.

“I’ll admit, I’m doing this for more personal reasons than the other scientists here, but my brother’s research was sound and holds a lot of promise, even today.”

“I want to help!”

Yuuichirou paused, looking down at Reiko’s earnest face.

“I… Is there anything I can do to help?” She shrank back a little, looking apologetic for her outburst. “The back-up data on my PET… Is there anything you can use?”

The older scientist looked thoughtful. “Well… I wasn’t going to ask because it might be too much for you, Reiko-chan.”

She shook her head adamantly. “I want to do _something_. My parents… They worked so hard and… I want to see their work through to the end.”

Yuuichirou folded his arms, hesitating. He was aware that both Netto and Meijin had drifted over to listen into the conversation, but he paid them no mind. “…How much do you know about your PET, Reiko-chan?”

She glanced down at the device in her hands. “I know that… Well, before the explosion, it was my medical PET, but my parents kept a back-up of all their research on it.”

Yuuichirou nodded as she kept talking.

“When… well, it was damaged during the explosion, so a lot of the data got corrupted…”

“Wait, Reiko was there?! How?” Netto chimed in, startling the girl.

She blinked before answering sheepishly. “I was… Well, I am really sickly… Uh, my parents had to take me to their work a lot and that just happened to be one of the days…”

“Oh.”

“Anyways, my medical data was easy to replace since they had back-ups at the hospital, but the research was a different story…”

“All of the original data was destroyed in the blast, so whatever corrupted fragments were stored in that PET were all that remained.” Meijin nodded.

“Some of my parent’s data was okay.” Reiko scratched the back of her head. “I recognized a lot of it earlier.”

“Yes, back when you were admitted to SciLab’s medical facility, I was able to extract that much…” Yuuichirou confirmed. “But I noticed something strange while I was going through the data.”

“Ahh…”

“I noticed that a lot of the data—both the corrupted data and otherwise—was missing. I did multiple scans of it, just to make sure I didn’t skip over anything, but no matter where I looked, the data was completely gone. I figured that maybe the PET had deleted all that information during an auto-sweep.”

“Mm…” The girl suddenly looked as if she were about to get scolded.

“But then something even stranger happened.” Yuuichirou gave the girl a funny look. “When you woke up so suddenly, after months of no response… All that corrupted data had returned to the PET, right where it was supposed to be. Of course, there were some strange alterations…”

Reiko shuffled her feet.

“I didn’t want to ask since I wasn’t sure if you knew what was happening, but Reiko-chan… It looks like you might be able to answer some of my questions.” The older man gave her a good-natured smile.

“…Maybe.” She gave a small smile back.

“Papa, I don’t understand. What’s all this about missing data and stuff?” Netto asked.

“I’m not sure, Netto.” Yuuichirou replied, gesturing at Reiko.

She kept her gaze on the floor, timid. “Back when I was recovering at Central Hospital… I tried messing with corrupted data on my PET. I wanted to see if there was anything salvageable, or any of the encryptions I might be able to work around.”

“I remember reading that in your medical report, yes.” Yuuichirou murmured.

“I didn’t do a very good job, though.” Reiko pushed out her bottom lip. “The corrupted data gave my entire PET an error and…”

“That brought on your coma.” Yuuichirou finished.

“Coma?” Rockman was the one to speak instead.

“That’s right. Reiko-chan was in a coma for almost half a year before Netto and Enzan-kun found her last week.”

“No way…”

“Ahaha… I’m sorry for all the trouble.” Reiko seemed so embarrassed.

“Wait, then what made you wake up from the coma, Reiko-chan?” Rockman asked.

“Mm, yes. That’s also what I’d like to know.” Yuuichirou nodded at her to continue.

“That… It’s a little harder to explain.” Reiko began fiddling with the PET in her hands. “I’m not too sure myself, but I think when I was messing around with my parent’s research data, some of it began to… Uh, I really don’t know.”

Yuuichirou gently gave Reiko’s shoulder a squeeze. “It’s okay. If you want to stop now, we can continue another time.”

“No… I just don’t know how to explain it well. It’s like the data had some sort of connection to my medical data. It almost as if it resonated together. One second, I was in the hospital and, uh...”

She was looking more and more confused as she talked and Yuuichirou opened his mouth, almost ready to stop her in case she was pushing herself too hard. However, her next words completely through him for a loop.

“…And the next thing I knew, I was on the Net.”


	6. Plug-in! Rhythm.EXE, Transmission!

“Wait… _What_?!”

Reiko nodded understandingly. “I told you it would be hard to understand. But it’s just like I said:  one moment I was lying on my hospital bed, tinkering with my PET and the next it was as if I were floating on the Net. I could see data streams, input commands, everything.”

The awestruck silence that filled the room was met with a shy cough.

“The only problem was… I couldn’t really interact with anything. Net Navis, viruses, I couldn’t speak since I think… I think I was just a mass of data, floating around without a program or container.” Reiko frowned.

Yuuichirou—who had been sitting in his desk chair—suddenly straightened up. “Hold on a moment…” He began typing rapidly on his computer and the other three hovered close to see what he was pulling up. Online, even Rockman was watching the scientist with wide-eyed interest.

He pulled up a file on Electopia Central Hospital’s data exports.

“That’s the hospital I was at…” Reiko blinked.

“Yes… And this…” He pulled up the file for a specific date. “Is the day you went into your coma.”

The chart showed a graph with a line that was mostly consistent with two glaring exceptions.

“There,” Meijin pointed at a massive dip in the graph. “It’s a dramatic drop, but it goes back to normal almost immediately.

“Ah, yeah, that’s me.” Reiko nodded, looking unperturbed. “I think that was when I tried getting back to the PET but… I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea so I aborted the command halfway through.”

“Then, the second? The data plummets again, but this time it doesn’t return.” Rockman commented.

“Yeah, after that, I left the mainframe and began wandering the Net, trying to find someone to contact for help.”

Yuuichirou was nodding slowly. “Then…” He pulled up another chart, this time of SciLab’s data inputs. “This…”

He pointed out a massive jump from several weeks back.

“My access to the mainframe.” Reiko responded. “I guess my parents had passcodes for when they would send their reports to SciLab, so I didn’t have any problems getting through.”

“That’s incredible…”

Yuuichirou held his hand out, signaling for Reiko to stop. She looked relieved as her uncle began talking in her place.

“All the pieces seem to fit now… So Reiko-chan, the night you woke up from your coma… A used program went AWOL and began roaming around the mainframe. Did you perhaps adapt the program to your data?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t having any luck trying to contact programs or Navis that were being used, so I gave that empty program a shot and… I guess I created some sort of Navi out of… myself?”

“No way!!” Rockman exclaimed.

Yuuichirou was nodding. “I figured as much. You see, I went back and checked the security feed the night you woke up and ran…”

Instead of explaining it in words, he simply accessed the file and displayed it. The screen showed the SciLab hospital room, with Reiko lying unconscious in a bed. “I’ve synced up the times so you can see when the program activates and when the security feed changes.” Yuuichirou explained.

Just as there was a spike in the data chart, Meijin, Netto, and Rockman let out astonished gasps.

“Whoa!!”

The security feed blurred out of focus for just a moment but the change was unmistakable: Reiko’s body had vanished in a shower of computer pixels.

Reiko’s eyes widened in surprise, too. “Oh. I didn’t know…”

Yuuichirou gave her a look. “Somehow, the program activated and you were able to convert your entire body into data…”

Reiko looked just as confused as he did. “I don’t know how… I wasn’t trying to do any of that. I have no clue how that happened.”

Rockman rolled back from his toes to the balls of his feet, a perplexed frown on his face. “Then, Reiko-chan… Does that mean you can log in and out, just like a Net Navi does?”

Reiko tipped her head to one side. “I… I haven’t tried it since, so…” She gave Yuuichirou a look.

He sighed. “Attempting it again would be really dangerous… But if we connected you to the right medical equipment…”

“I… I’d like to give it a try,” Reiko mumbled to her uncle. “If it’s okay…”

Yuuichirou tapped his foot, debating.

“Hikari-hakase,” Meijin spoke up. “It would be a good idea, to make sure none of the program data is corrupted. It may cause problems for her later on…”

Yuuichirou nodded, conceding. “All right… Let’s give it a shot.”

\-----

It didn’t take long for the two scientists to connect Reiko to several monitors to track her vitals. Reiko fidgeted while they worked, obviously nervous, and Netto sat down beside her.

“I don’t really understand all of what you, Papa, and Meijin-san were talking about… But it’s so cool that you were able to get onto the Net! It’s like the experiment that they were running earlier, but you did it all on your own!”

Reiko gave him a smile. “I didn’t really do anything… I don’t know how any of it happened. But if I was really able to get onto the Net, then that must mean my parent’s research was correct.” She squeezed her hands together. “I want to help with their research and I think this is my ticket to doing so.”

Netto gave her a broad grin. “You’ll do a great job, Reiko!”

“Yeah, Reiko-chan. I’m sure that your parents would be so proud to see their research living on in you!” Rockman added.

“Thanks Netto, Rock-kun.”

“All right. Netto, can you come over here?” Yuuichirou called out from the control panels. “We’re going to start.”

“Okay, Papa.”

Reiko took a deep breath.

“Reiko-chan, if you feel like anything is going wrong, I want you to stop.” Yuuichirou said firmly. “I know how much you want to help your parent’s research, but your health is far more important.”

“…I understand.”

“Then… Go ahead, whenever you’re ready.”

Reiko gave a short nod before turning to the computer. She could see Rockman on the screen, nervously awaiting her arrival on the Net. She gripped the worn out plug in her hand, exhaling slowly before pressing the buttons on her wrist cuffs and moving forward.

“Plug in, Rhythm.EXE, transmission!”

There was a click and the room was filled with a bright flash. Several loud beeps echoed through the room as the medical equipment was suddenly disconnected from their host and after a moment the light faded.

And Reiko was gone.

“ _Waaah_!!”

Yuuichirou, Netto, and Meijin jumped as Rockman let out a loud yell. Beside him, there was a figure materializing, completely engulfed in floods of data. Once it had settled down, they all let out gasps of astonishment.

“Uh… Did it work?” Standing in front of them was a sea-green Navi who had her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

She had what appeared to be two musical notes extending from her head like bunny ears and covering her ears like headphones. She wore a darker jumpsuit and had lighter colored armor covering her shoulders, chest, waist, hands, and calves. Her Navi mark--which was not on her chest like most Navis, but rather only on the sides of her head on her headpiece-- was an exact replica of Rockman’s Navi mark, with one exception: While the slash on Rockman’s mark went from right to left, hers went from left to right.

The Navi cracked her eyes open and was met with Rockman’s amazed expression. She looked down at herself and gave a little cheer. “Whoo, it worked!!”

“R-Reiko-chan…” Rockman gazed at her, a huge smile breaking out on his face. “You’re here! A human on the Net, this is _amazing_!”

“Awesome!!” Netto’s voice rang out and they turned to see the Net Op bouncing around between his father and Meijin, who also looked thrilled. “You even got the whole plug-in process right and everything!! But wait… did you say Rhythm.EXE?”

The Navi blushed. “Ahaha, sorry, does it really suck? I wanted to give my Navi self a name, but maybe I’ll just stick to Reiko…”

“No way, Rhythm-chan sounds just as nice,” Rockman reassured her. “It can be like your code name!”

Yuuichirou regained his composure fairly quickly, but the smile on his face didn’t fade. “Okay, Rei… Ahem, _Rhythm_ -chan, would it be all right if I ran a scan on your data? I want to make sure that there aren’t any programming bugs.”

“Of course.” The newly dubbed Rhythm dipped her head and followed the series of command prompts that came up beside her.

\-----

It would be a few hours before Rhythm and Yuuichirou would complete the scan, as the scientist had to debug several components and reorganize the data to be more manageable. Netto and Rockman kept themselves busy by helping the security programs delete viruses outside of the firewalls, and Meijin worked alongside Yuuichirou, taking down notes for the older scientist.

“It’s amazing… This data compiles aspects of both my research as well as the Cossack project to create a fully functional Net Navi.” Yuuichirou shook his head in disbelief. “I never knew my brother had gotten far enough to even begin programming a container to put the human consciousness in…”

“Of course, there are important aspects from it missing… Which is why Reiko-chan’s body also converts into data, as opposed to just her mind. However, it’s interesting how the missing data is filled so seamlessly with the body component data.” Meijin pointed out.

“Yes, and the fact that the body component data--Maybe I’ll just call that Reiko.dat--is kept separate from the rest of the containment program, or what I guess Reiko-chan labeled here as Owlhub.EXE… It’s really unbelievable how much there is to go through.”

“So, from what I’m understanding is Owlhub.EXE is the storage and Reiko.dat is the culmination of all her parent’s encrypted research, working on its own to sustain the Net Navi form and her own physical body.” Meijin elaborated, trying to understand.

“From what I can see, yes, that’s correct. Rhythm-chan, are you okay?” Yuuichirou looked up at the monitor, where the Navi was hovering with a series of data panels circling her.

“I… I’m getting a little tired, Hikari-hakase.” She replied honestly, her eyes opening slightly. “All the data reconfiguring… and I can’t seem to get past any of my parents’ encryptions…”

“All right. Also, please call me ‘uncle’.” He corrected gently. “I think I’ve done all I can with the debugging, so your Navi form should be less of a strain and you can even probably use Battlechips if you ever have the need to.”

“Okay. Thank you, Oji-chan.” She obeyed his request. “Is it all right for me to log out?”

“Yes, but please use this IP address instead of your old one. It’s for your new PET.”

Rhythm nodded and pulled up the IP, but before she could log out Rockman appeared by her side.

“Rhythm-chan! Are you and Papa done with all the modifications?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m a little too exhausted to do much else…” She scratched the back of her head.

Rockman nodded in understanding. “This is really amazing… Having a human on the Net, it’s like a dream.”

Rhythm smiled. “Hopefully, with my parents’ research, we’ll be able to do this for everyone. But Rock-kun?”

“Hm?”

Rhythm gave her cousin a hug. “Thanks, Saito-kun. I’m really grateful for all your support.” She didn’t let go of him, adding tentatively. “I don’t know how, but I hope my parents’ research can help you, too.”

Rockman returned the gesture warmly, his eyes softening at the use of his original name. “Of course…”


	7. Fund It!

Ijuuin Enzan resisted the urge to yawn. He had gotten an early start, not wanting to hold up any other experiments that SciLab might have scheduled for after his visit to negotiate funding. He scratched the back of his neck and sipped his coffee, waiting for Blues to appear and tell him that his driver was ready to go.

He idly skimmed the folder Yuuichirou had sent him, where the basics of the experiment were laid out in detail. However, with the email he had gotten the day before, saying that they had scrapped the idea in favor of an entirely different experiment, Enzan had no idea what to expect.

Blues logged back onto his PET and Enzan suppressed another yawn, this time hiding it behind his coffee thermos. It’s not like Blues would have cared either way, but Enzan was a stickler for details--if he had to be at his professional best, he was going to start as early as he could. “We’re ready to leave, Enzan-sama.”

“All right, let’s go.”

\-----

Enzan arrived at SciLab a short while later, feeling much more awake than he had been thanks to his coffee intake. He waved his driver off and headed inside, not surprised to see staff bustling about at the early hour.

Meijin was near the entrance, obviously waiting for him. “Enzan-kun.”

Enzan gave a short nod and followed the scientist to the testing area. There, Hikari Yuuichirou greeted him.

“Ah, Enzan-kun. Thank you for coming in.”

“Of course.” Enzan nodded, accepting the scientist’s handshake smoothly.

“I apologize for not emailing you sooner about the alterations in our trials… You see,” Yuuichirou looked a little sheepish.  “We have a very… _persuasive_ bit of research material that changed things up at the last minute.”

The teen frowned, not quite sure what he was supposed to make of the statement. “Well, as long as the results here today are favorable, then I don’t really mind things being switched around.”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

The two scientists led Enzan to the viewing area--the gesture was only a formality, as the vice president had been there countless times before--and began explaining the procedure to him.

“Originally the experiment was a testing of a virtual reality simulator. Of course, seeing as IPC and the Ayanokouji corporations have already made huge leaps and bounds in that area of research, we had to made several modifications--namely the method of how the data was interpreted.”

Enzan nodded. “The folder you sent me said something along the lines of ‘instead of bringing the virtual world into the viewer’s mind, we will attempt to do the opposite and bring the mind into the space’, right?”

“Exactly. And we were working quite successfully on that project and would have shown it to you today had it not been for a massive discovery.” Yuuichirou gestured towards the testing facility, signaling for Enzan to take a look.

Enzan blinked in mild confusion as he spotted the figure in the center of all the computers. It was a girl who looked about his age, with brown hair to match the scientist standing beside him. It took him a while to put his finger on it, but eventually he remembered: ‘ _Wasn’t this the girl who caused that security breach that one morning? Wasn’t her name… Rei… Reiko_?’

The Net Savior met the scientist’s gaze, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Yuuichirou had a strange smile on his face, obviously noticing the look on Enzan’s face. However, he didn’t comment on it. The teen suddenly had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the ‘persuasive research material’ mentioned before was.

“Enzan-kun, during the meeting with your father’s company, SciLab referenced some old experiments done by the Electopia Labs.”

“Yes, I remember.” He also remembered the casualties suffered during that research, but it didn’t seem like that was where the scientist was going with their conversation.

“When the Incident happened, most of that data was destroyed, with some exceptions. However, we’ve managed to find the entirety of the research in a back-up file, and that is what we would like to demonstrate to you today.”

Enzan pursed his lips. It sounded like something big was going to happen and his curiosity was piqued, but the teen kept his expression professional.

Yuuichirou pulled up the intercom, his voice echoing clearly down to the testing area below. “Reiko-chan, are you ready?”

The girl, who had been messing with the medical bracelets on her wrists, looked up and gave a short nod.

“Enzan-kun, are you ready as well?” Yuuichirou turned to the vice president. If he missed anything, it could mean their shot at getting funding.

Enzan met the gaze of the girl briefly, wondering what she could possibly be doing in the middle of such an experiment. However, he let the thought slide and focused. “Yes, go ahead.”

The scientist spoke into the intercom again. “Whenever you’re ready, Reiko-chan.”

Again, the girl nodded. However, this time, she turned on her heel and approached the center monitor. On the table next to it, there was a port for logging in, one Enzan had seen thousands of times before. However, there were no Net Navis present, so what would it be used for?

The girl named Reiko carefully booted up the monitor and the supporting screens before approaching a platform in the center. Enzan didn’t see any connecting devices attached to it and he realized the platform was only there for show--to help him see what was going on more clearly. The vice president chanced a quick glance at Yuuichirou, but the scientist’s expression gave nothing away.

Reiko was standing in the center of the platform and she held up a sea-green device. Enzan immediately recognized the PET and a strange thought crossed his mind: ‘ _Wait, didn’t she have the plug-style with no Navi_...?’

 Before the thought could completely register, Reiko had tapped the buttons on her medical bracelets. Enzan didn’t know much about the devices except that the buttons normally functioned as a calling system to a nurse. Obviously this wasn’t the case.

And then for the first time since Enzan had arrived, Reiko opened her mouth to speak.

“Plug-in, Rhythm.EXE, transmission!”

And with a bright flash of light and pixels, she was gone.

Enzan’s eyes widened in astonishment and he found himself on his feet. “What…?!”

After a moment, the center screen lit up and Enzan gazed at it in amazement as a massive series of data streams began to compile on it. As soon as the data had settled down, he found himself looking at a sea-green Navi with traits identical to the girl who had just disappeared.

Once Enzan had recovered from the shock of seeing an entire human being materialize onto the Net, he was struck by another odd prickling of deja vu. He glanced down at his PET and saw the same recognition on Blues’ face.

There was no mistaking it: whereas Enzan didn’t necessarily remember all the people he’d ever encountered, Blues _never_ forgot the face of a Navi. This was definitely the same ‘program’ that Yuuchirou requested the contain the same night of the security breach.

Without missing a beat, the Navi spoke cheerfully.

“Hello, my name is Rhythm and I am the Net Navi form of Miss Reiko Hikari.”

Enzan noted with mild fascination that things had just gotten incredibly weird.

\-----

It took a while for Yuuichirou to explain Reiko’s circumstances to Enzan, but by the end of it, the vice president had to hand it to them--it was a gutsy move, but he was admittedly impressed. “So, if this research data is unencrypted…”

Yuuichirou patiently answered the teen’s questions. “Seeing as it was able to safely convert an entire human into data, we would be able to go beyond any of our original speculations about just transferring the human consciousness.”

“Reiko-chan’s mere existence shows that we might be able to even repair people’s bodies by integrating data and flesh. It could very well mean the elimination of all physical ailments.” Meijin added.

“This… I never would have expected this.” Enzan managed to say after he was able to wrap his mind around all the possibilities.

A loud buzz interrupted their conversation and Yuuichirou leapt to his feet.

“A-Ahh!!!” The Navi, Rhythm--who had been patiently waiting for the trial to end--looked very frightened by the sounds and Enzan was suddenly reminded of how frail she had been when he had first encountered her.

“Rhythm-chan, you don’t have to worry.” Yuuichirou still looked startled, but his voice was perfectly calm. “One of the monitors is just overheating, so I need you to log-out immediately.” He took a deep breath and waited until the Navi had met his gaze. “I promise, _everything is okay_.”

Enzan belatedly realized all of the scientist’s reassurances were because of the girl’s first-hand experience with the explosion at the Electopia Lab. He frowned, both sympathetic and impressed by her determination to return to the place where it had all begun and continue what her parents had started.

There were two more flashes of light--one on the monitor and one beside it--and then the girl was back on the platform. She wobbled uneasily but another staff was there to help her keep her balance. She still looked apprehensive about the alarms but by then Yuuichirou, Meijin, and Enzan had arrived in the facility.

"Very nice work, Reiko-chan. You did perfectly." Meijin gave the girl a reassuring cuff on the shoulder as Yuuichirou silenced the alarm.

"Then... Did we get the funding?" The nervous pallor on Reiko's face slowly faded as she calmed down.

Yuuichirou huffed out a laugh. "Well, that will be for Enzan-kun to decide." He gestured at the Net Savior.

Reiko's eyes widened in surprise, a typical reaction for someone who had never met the young vice president before. It wasn’t surprising--in his everyday wear, he looked the furthest thing from the heir to a company. "O-oh, you're... Uh, hello." She straightened out her posture immediately and gave a formal bow.

Enzan scratched the end of his nose, giving her an awkward nod in return. He was used to formalities from adults, but for someone the same age as him? He was much more accustomed to Netto's brusque mannerisms and Laika’s strict indifference. "Ijuuin Enzan." He introduced himself briefly before adding, "It's nice to see you're doing better."

"E-eh? Better...?"

Yuuichirou brightened. "Oh, that's right. Reiko-chan, Enzan-kun was the other Net Savior who responded to my call the night you woke up."

Reiko looked even more flustered. "Really? The vice president of IPC..." She gasped. "Oh no, I'm so sorry! I caused you so many problems!"

Enzan shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It was no trouble, especially considering all the work you've done here."

Yuuichirou watched their exchange with mild interest. "Enzan-kun, Reiko-chan. I need to figure out what caused the computer to overheat, so why don't you two go down to the cafeteria and get some refreshments? Once I'm done here we can negotiate funding."

Enzan glanced at the girl, but before he could answer she had already opened her mouth.

"Oji-chan, are... Are you sure you... don't need help with the monitor? Is it safe?" Reiko looked concerned for her uncle, but the strange expression on her face suggested she was also too afraid to be of any help.

"It's perfectly okay," Yuuichirou ruffled her hair affectionately. "You used a lot of energy already, so get something to eat."

Reiko bit her lip and readjusted her wrist cuffs before conceding, looking a little relieved. "All right."

"I'll message Blues when we're done here, Enzan-kun."

"Sure."

Reiko gave Enzan a small smile that he found himself returning. "Err, I can show you the way to the cafeteria, uh... Ijuuin-kun? Ah, I mean I-Ijuuin-san?” She looked startled at herself for the lapse of formality.

Enzan shrugged. "Ijuuin-kun is fine." He didn't bother telling her that he knew where the cafeteria was, feeling like it would make things more awkward than they already were.

"Then, right this way, Ijuuin-kun."


	8. (Virus) Busted!

The two teens headed down to the dining area, with Enzan letting Reiko lead the way.

"So... What Oji-chan said earlier... Blues, is that your Net Navi?" Reiko asked conversationally as they found a table to sit at.

"Yeah," Enzan pulled out his PET and showed her Blues, who nodded once.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "Hey, you're the Navi that was chasing me with a sword on SciLab's mainframe!"

Blues hesitated for a moment before dipping his head again briefly. Reiko didn't sound particularly angry about the ordeal, but the callous way she had worded her statement, along with her lapses into more casual speech… Enzan was finally beginning to see the family resemblance between her and Netto and he smirked.

"I apologize for startling you." Blues finally said, quoting himself from that night.

"Oh no, it's okay!" Reiko waved a dismissive hand. "Honestly, if it weren't for you and Rock-kun, I probably never would have gathered the courage to log-out and would’ve been stuck on the Net for who knows how long!"

Enzan wasn't sure if 'gathering courage' was the right phrase, seeing as it was more instinctual panic, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"So really, I owe you two a lot of thanks. You have my utmost gratitude." She gave the pair another bow from her seat, almost bumping her forehead against the table.

"Again, it was no trouble. And... You don't have to be so formal." Enzan commented, a little jarred by the sudden change. Normally he would never insist on informalities even with people the same age as him--he found it much easier than remembering countless titles--but with Reiko he found himself irked by all her clipped statements and stiff demeanor.

"Ah, sorry." After a moment, Reiko sat back in her chair, relaxing slightly.

Enzan took a sip of his coffee and Reiko began fumbling with her bracelets again. He quietly noted the motion in the back of his mind, sensing it was a kind of nervous tick the girl had.

He paused. That reminded him... "So, your medical braces. They're modified, right?"

Reiko's gaze snapped up to his and she immediately stopped tinkering with them. 'Yeah, definitely a nervous tick,' Enzan thought.

"Oh, yeah..." Reiko instead grasped at her cup--hot chocolate instead of coffee--as she responded. "It used to be a normal med bracelet, displaying my information and an emergency nurse contact... But a lot of the data got modified when I logged on for the first time."

He gave a nod as she continued explaining. "It's still heavily encrypted, but Oji-chan thinks the bracelets are what made it possible for my body to convert into data."

"I see..."

It would be another half hour of friendly chatter and occasional awkwardness before the the two teens heard back from Yuuichirou.

"Enzan-kun, can you and Reiko-chan head back to the lab? I need you to take care of something."

Enzan raised an eyebrow. Normally on visits about funding, they weren't supposed to force work on him--it was a terrible business tactic.

However, Yuuichirou's next words had Enzan's interest. "A collection of viruses caused the monitor to overheat and it would be quicker if I had your help clearing them up."

Virus-busting? Now there was a task he was happy to assist with. He nodded once at Blues, who in his own stoic way also seemed eager to go. “We’’ll be right there.”

\-----

Enzan and Reiko arrived back in the lab a couple minutes later, with Enzan already clutching his PET. “Which monitor, Hikari-hakase?”

Yuuichirou smiled. The teen might have thought he was hiding it, but the scientist could see the excitement behind his straight-faced expression. “The one on the left. I’m sorry I’m making you work on a day like this…”

Enzan shrugged.

“He doesn’t have to work…”

Enzan turned to see Reiko with her PET also in hand. She grinned and he realized that their conversations in the cafeteria had her acting more casually than ever. “I _am_ a fully functional Net Navi, after all.”

Yuuichirou’s smile vanished. “Reiko-chan, just because I gave your Navi form the capabilities to use Battlechips didn’t mean I actually wanted you to use them on a whim.”

“But Oji-chan, you told me that the purpose of today’s trial was to show the vice president of IPC that we have the potential to make the best use of their funding! If I’m the product of this research and I can’t even do a simple thing like take out a few viruses, then how is he supposed to believe that?”

Enzan resisted the urge to mention that he was, in fact, standing right beside her and could hear every word, regardless of the valid point she was making. Yuuichirou also looked rather exasperated by her lack of tact and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Reiko-chan… I don’t think you’re battle-ready in the slightest. You don’t have much stamina, in either Navi or human form.”

“Well… Then have Ijuuin-kun’s Navi come along and help. But I can’t just sit by and waste this opportunity, Oji-chan.”

The scientist sighed heavily, obviously sensing his defeat. “I can’t say no. Not to you or Netto, can I? But,” His voice turned stern. “If you get into _any_ sort of trouble, you have to promise me you’ll log out.”

“I promise, Oji-chan!.” Reiko turned to Enzan, bright-eyed. “I’ll do my best!”

Enzan gave a short nod in reply as she took a place beside him. “Ready, Blues?”

“Yes, Enzan-sama.”

Reiko clicked her bracelets and held out her PET, waiting for the vice president’s cue.

“Plug-in, Blues--”

“Rhythm.EXE…”

“Transmission!”

Blues reached the computer several seconds before Rhythm fully materialized, watching with interest as the Navi immerged beside him. However, as soon as she was steady on her feet, Blues turned, hearing the buzz of viruses approaching.

“Aha,” Rhythm’s visor came down and she drew her standard weapons--a pair of throwing discs.

Blues also pulled his sword but instead of taking the initiative and annihilating the viruses, he waited, obviously letting the sea-green Navi get the first strike.

Rhythm glanced around, taking in the locations of the viruses and their numbers. She took careful aim and with a grunt, she fired off the first disc, watching as it knocked aside three viruses, deleting them before it whizzed back into her hand.

"All right!" She cheered. However, her joy was cut short as all the viruses--enraged by her attack--suddenly charged. "W-whoa!"

"Blues." Enzan's voice echoed calmly over the area.

Rhythm let out a yelp as she was grabbed around the waist. Blues leapt, taking the two of them to the other side of the area. Once he had set her down, he turned and threw himself into the fray. "Watch my back."

"U-uh, right!" Rhythm nodded. She watched in amazement as Blues began to clear the crowd, occasionally leaving a few for her to handle. Rhythm didn't let him down, making sure that each of her shots were true.

However, there was a low rumbling that caught her attention, and Rhythm's eyes widened as she realized Blues hadn't reacted to it.

Truthfully, Blues was fully aware of the giant Mole virus burrowing its way under the ground towards him. But, seeing as he would be able to handle it with no trouble, he decided not to pay it any mind and let it send him flying--it would give him a perfect chance for an aerial attack.

But of course, Rhythm didn't know that.

"Barrier!!" Blues whipped around in time to see Rhythm throwing herself at him, activating her defensive battle chip just as the ground crumbled beneath their feet.

The blow was nonexistent for Blues, but he could tell it had been more than Rhythm had bargained for.

"Ack!!" She stumbled back but the barrier held strong under her extended hands. Her eyes narrowed as the Mole virus took another heavy swing and she tried to pull one of her blades, lessening the strength if the barrier in favor of striking a blow.

"Now, Blues!" Enzan’s command was wholly unnecessary--Blues was perfectly in sync with his Operator’s thoughts and had already moved. However, even as Blues charged, the thought occurred to him that maybe Enzan’s words hadn’t even been intended for him; perhaps they were for Rhythm’s benefit so she wouldn’t endanger herself again.

Blues raced under the Mole's attack, knowing he would land his blow before the virus could shatter Rhythm's barrier. With two swift slashes, the Mole virus let out a keening wail before exploding in a shower of pixels.

He landed easily, turning back to see Rhythm letting her barrier flicker out. "W-wow... You're... Really something..." She was panting heavily, something that was abnormal for most Navis unless they were under extreme stress--something this battle was not.

Yuuichirou's voice called out to them over the PC. "Good job, you two. That's taken care of the overheating problem. Rhythm-chan, go ahead and log-out--it doesn't look like you'll be able to keep your Navi form much longer."

"Yeah..." Rhythm was clutching at her side, but she looked happy. "Hey Blues, that was a lot of fun."

Blues dipped his head. "Not bad for your first Netbattle."

"Ehehe..." Her voice echoed as she logged out, the streams of data dissipating into nothingness. Blues waited patiently until the last particles had faded--not wanting to interfere with her data connection--before he also plugged out, returning to his operator's PET.

Enzan looked up after he had confirmed Blues was back in his possession, just in time to see Reiko finish materializing beside him.

And collapsing to the floor.

"Reiko-chan!" Yuuichirou and Meijin leapt to their feet, but Enzan was already there, kneeling beside her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Reiko opened her eyes blearily. "A-ah... Sorry, Ijuuin-kun. I'm okay... I hope... this doesn't affect your funding report..."

He frowned. "Don't worry about that."

Yuuichirou knelt beside him, quickly going through Reiko's vitals as they talked. "Reiko-chan, are you hurt?"

She shook her head weakly. "I'm okay... Just really..." She took a shaky breath. “ _Really_ tired."

Yuuichirou gave a sigh of relief as he confirmed her statement for himself. "Meijin, can you take Reiko-chan to my office? I want to do a scan once I'm done discussing things with Enzan-kun."

"Yes, Hikari-hakase." The younger scientist lifted Reiko easily in his arms. At first Enzan thought she had already fallen asleep, but she opened her eyes again before they left, giving him a weary smile.

"Thank you, Ijuuin-kun. I hope I did okay..."

Enzan found the corners of his mouth turning up in spite of himself. "You did well, Hikari-cha..." He cleared his throat. Normally titles were never an issue, but hearing both the scientists refer to Reiko casually so many times messed him up. "Er, Hikari-san."

Reiko brightened a little and she gave a feeble laugh. "Hikari-chan's fine. See you..."


	9. Divided into One

“Oji-chan, good morning!” Reiko greeted her uncle, stepping into the lab. It had been several weeks since the demonstration with the Vice President and once Reiko had rested from her first net battle, she returned everyday to SciLab to help her uncle and the other staff with their research.

“Good morning, Reiko-chan. I’m sorry I didn’t get to travel with you,” Yuuichirou turned from his lab work, pushing up his glasses. “I’m afraid there were some papers that I forgot to attend to last night so I had to leave early.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. Netto and Rock-kun gave me directions in case I ever needed to come here on my own.”

“That’s good to hear. By the way, where _are_ my sons?”

“Huh?” Reiko tipped her head to one side. “They… Well, I heard them arguing about _something_ this morning, but I didn’t really pay too much attention to it. Were they supposed to come here?”

Before Yuuichirou could answer, the door opened again and Reiko turned to see Ijuuin Enzan standing beside her.

“U-uh, good morning, Ijuuin-kun!” Reiko blinked, her eyes wide.

Enzan gave a friendly nod in reply. Reiko glanced back at her uncle, giving him a confused look over the vice president’s shoulder. However, the scientist looked just as surprised.

“Hello, Enzan-kun. You’re a couple hours early.”

The teen gave a small shrug. “I was planning on doing paperwork at the cafeteria, but I wanted to check in first.”

“Ah, always busy.” Yuuichirou smiled. “Well, I’ll have Reiko-chan come get you when the preparations for the testing are done.”

“Prep… Huh?” Reiko looked back and forth between the Net Savior and her uncle, but Enzan had already turned to leave with a short wave, leaving the explanation to Yuuichirou.

“I believe I’ve told you about the Dimensional Areas, right?” The scientist pulled up a chair for Reiko to sit in.

“Yeah, the things that bring the Net into our world, right? And some people--like Ijuuin-kun and Netto--can even combine with their Navis through cross fusion…”

He gave a nod. “Yes, that’s exactly it. Well, I have those that can cross fuse--or at least those that do so on a regular basis, like Enzan-kun and Netto--come in for check ups, to make sure that cross fusion isn’t having a negative effect on their bodies or their Navis’ data frames. ”

“I see… So that’s why you were asking about Netto and Rock-kun earlier.” Reiko commented. “Because they’re doing the check-up with Ijuuin-kun.”

“That’s right.”

She gave a little contented hum and began booting up the monitors and servers Yuuichirou pointed out to her, but after several moments she blinked up at him, thoughtful.

“Hey, Oji-chan…?”

“Hm?”

“What do you think would happen if I went into a Dimensional Area?”

That gave Yuuichirou pause. “I… I’m honestly not sure.”

Reiko raised her eyebrows at him and he made a face. He had to admit, he was curious himself. “Reiko-chan… I guess you can sit in while I activate the dimensional area to check on the boys…”

She grinned. “I won’t get in the way, I promise!”

\-----

A few hours later, Netto, Enzan, Reiko, Yuuichirou, and Meijin were gathered in one of the larger testing facilities. The two teenage boys had changed into hospital gowns for their medical scans, and Reiko was busy typing away at a computer in the center of the room, where the dimensional area was to be generated.

“Okay, so once the dimensional area is up, I want you two to cross fuse. You won’t be like that for long, but I’ve logged in several battle chips for you to use on the testing dummies that will appear. I just want to make sure that everything in your fusion is running smoothly and that there aren’t any hitches in the chip processing.” Yuuichirou explained from his spot in the analysis lab hanging over the testing area.

“Okay, Papa. No problem!” Netto replied back, waving. Enzan nodded as well.

“After that, you both will end your cross and Reiko-chan, I’ll have you log in as you normally would and... we’ll see what happens from there. I’ve logged in the same battlechips for you to use, though, just in case.”

“I understand, Oji-chan.” Reiko dipped her head, grateful that he was taking time to work with her even though she knew the whole process was supposed to be for her cousin and Enzan.

“Then… let’s begin. Meijin?”

The younger scientist spoke up from his seat beside Yuuichirou. “Activating dimensional area now.”

The moment the whirring of the generator started, Reiko knew something was off. It took her a moment, but she soon realized that the buttons on her wrist cuffs had lit up, just like they normally did when she pressed them to log in.

But she hadn't done a thing.

Before she could comment on it, the dimensional area stabilized and she yelped in surprise as her body was suddenly engulfed in light and pixels.

"Reiko?!" Netto exclaimed. He ran over to her side to help, but Enzan grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from interfering with the data conversions.

"I-I... I'm o-okay...?" The flashes came to a stop and Rhythm's sea-green form was standing where Reiko had been just seconds before. "I'm okay. Uwah!" She shifted her weight but was immediately sent off-balance and she fell back on her rear, making a disgruntled face.

"Reiko-chan, what happened?" Yuuichirou's voice was slightly distorted by the speaker he was using beyond the sphere of the dimensional area.

"Oji-chan, I swear I didn't do a thing... It just started automatically. I logged in without doing anything!" She held up her hands, as if they might prove her innocence in the matter.

"Hm... And the log-in process, did anything feel off to you? Are you okay?"

Rhythm folded her arms as she continued sitting on the floor, recalling the last couple of moments carefully. She even turned over her hands and gave herself a thorough once-over, patting her head and face. "No, nothing other than it just being unexpected. Everything went fine."

"I see. I didn't think you would be forced to log in when inside a dimensional area, but it makes sense since technically you _are_ on the Net..."

Meijin's voice cut in. "Are there any abnormalities in your data frame? You lost your balance, so is there a glitch somewhere in your legs?"

That had Yuuichirou concerned as well. "What about your bad knee? Check carefully..."

"Oh, not at all," Rhythm reassured them. "It was just the abrupt gravity change, that's all. Nothing new."

"...Gravity change?"

Rhythm's brow creased. "Yeah, y'know..." She looked to Netto and Enzan for help. Netto was nodding in understanding and Enzan's expression was also clear--it was apparent _they_ knew what she was talking about. "Uh, most physics feels a tiny bit different when you're on the Net."

Yuuichirou and Meijin exchanged bewildered glances; this was new information to them.

"Yeah, Papa. Reiko's right." Netto confirmed.

"Different in what way?"

"Err... Well..."

Reiko was also at a loss for words. "It's difficult to explain."

Enzan stepped in, with one hand tucked under his chin as he worded his answer.  "Everything feels lighter in cross fusion... Not like if I weigh less, but more that there isn't as much resistance in my movements." He glanced at Reiko, who looked thoughtful. "I thought it was because of the energy Blues and I were sharing, but if Hikari-chan is the same way then I guess I was wrong."

Blues voice caught him by surprise. "Enzan-sama, I don't believe you are completely mistaken."

Rockman also pitched in. “Yeah, because I feel the change in energy when I cross with Netto-kun.”

Blues continued. “If that were the case, Navis wouldn’t feel the change, but since there is a difference, I believe that the cause is something different.”

That had both scientists thinking. “Hm, Rhythm-chan… Do you feel a change between when you’re on the Net and right now?”

The sea green Navi closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself a moment to consider their question. After bouncing around on her heels and taking a few steps to test things out, she shook her head. “No, I feel exactly like I do when I plug in.”

"Then, Blues is right." Meijin finally deducted.

“Yes, I think so,” Yuuichirou agreed. “Cross fusion creates a shared energy that increases both the Navi and the Operator’s potential. Since Reiko-chan doesn’t have another Navi to sync with, I guess we can just consider Rhythm-chan like a solo Navi… Just one that’s capable of using battle chips and that is piloted by a human body.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Rhythm nodded.

“Speaking of which, Rhythm-chan, are you able to use battle chips and your weapon the same way?” Meijin asked. “Just pull from your normal selection, not the test ones we gave you.”

Rhythm tipped her head to one side. “Let’s see…” She looked around, but the testing area wasn’t particularly large, so there wasn’t much room to run around in. However, she glanced up and noted how tall the building was and quirked an eyebrow.

She gave herself a moment before firing one of her throwing discs straight up. She watched it, and then with a blink, she was gone.

Enzan and Netto made simultaneous noises of confusion before spotting Rhythm reappear near the top of the room. Enzan understood immediately--she had used an Area Steal battlechip to move up instead of a horizontal distance. It was an interesting maneuver and he quietly noted it in the back of his mind--maybe he could incorporate it into one of his own fighting tactics.

Rhythm caught the disc smoothly, looking content before glancing back down. Her face contorted. “Too high!! Too high!!” She squealed.

Netto and Enzan tensed, both of their PETs and Synchro-chips in hand. The words Yuuichirou had spoken echoed in Enzan's mind: she had a bad knee--that wasn't good. Would either of them be able to cross fuse in time to help?

However, before they could do anything, Rhythm vanished again, reappearing beside them with a huff.

Enzan jerked in surprise. ‘ _Another Area Steal?! But… So quickly…_?’

Rhythm cleared her throat, looking a little sheepish. “Ehehe, sorry about that…” She glanced back up at the two scientists. “Yeah, everything works fine.”

The room collectively sighed in exasperation and Rhythm chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

“All right, now that we’ve figured out that... Boys, are you ready?”

Enzan and Netto exchanged looks before nodding, and Rhythm quietly stepped back to give them plenty of space.

“Then… Go ahead.”

The two Net Saviors--in sync with both their Navis and each other, held up their PETs.

“Synchro-chip, slot in!!”

Rhythm watched with wide eyes, amazed.

"Cross fusion!"


	10. Processing

The two Net Saviors appeared moments later, both standing comfortably in their cross fusions.

"All readings normal, Hikari-hakase." Meijin reported.

"Good."

There was a beep and several targets appeared in the area.

"All right, all three of you, take out one target each with the boomerang battle chip we provided you with."

"Got it!" Netto replied.

Enzan didn't answer, instead choosing to activate the chip, his right arm ready to fire. He turned and saw that Rhythm had already done the same, but instead of the programming changing her hand and arm--like it would a Net Navi's--the boomerang was a physical object she caught and held aloft as it activated.

Rhythm didn't even bother to wait for the other two, she simply took aim and swung, throwing the boomerang exactly as if she were tossing her normal throwing discs. It struck true and her target exploded in a wash of pixels.

Enzan didn't watch to see if she would catch the boomerang on its way back, instead firing his own. Netto was on his other side and once he had confirmed Enzan's boomerang was clear and out of his way he followed suit.

"Still normal readings, Hikari-hakase." Meijin's voice sounded almost bored and Enzan smirked.

"Good job, next 3 cannons will appear and fire once. On my cue, use the barrier chip to absorb the shot." Yuuichirou explained.

"Okay," Rhythm nodded once, and the three teens spread out, giving each other room so their barriers wouldn't clash.

"Three, two, one."

"Barrier," Enzan and Netto called out in unison, but they both glanced to the side when Rhythm remained silent.

What they saw made them pause. Rhythm already had her barrier fully formed and in place. She glanced over at the other two as their barriers took shape a moment later.

The three of them didn't so much as blink as the cannons fired harmlessly against the barriers. "Rhythm, Papa said wait for him to give the cue." Netto chided, folding his arms as his barrier went down.

She looked affronted. "I _did_!"

He looked a little skeptical and Enzan took a step back, deciding not to be in the middle--literally--of what might escalate into an argument.

However, Yuuichirou stepped in smoothly before his son and niece could begin bickering. "She did, Netto. Rhythm has extraordinarily fast chip processing time."

Netto still didn't seem to understand. "Even faster than Enzan and me?"

Yuuichirou chuckled. "Yes, even faster than the both of you. Without having the Net Navi as the conduit, Rhythm is able to almost instantaneously download and use battle chips, without speaking."

Rhythm seemed a little embarrassed. "One of the perks, I guess..." She mumbled.

"Ooh," Netto turned to his cousin. "That's so useful! You'd be able to get the upper hand in so many Netbattles!"

Rhythm shrugged. "That's assuming I can even hold my own in a battle, which I can't."

"O-oh."

Enzan couldn’t tell if she was being modest or serious and he held his tongue, instead waiting for the next set of instructions.

\-----

After several more laughably easy tests, the scientists broke down the dimensional area and the three teenagers returned to their normal, non-Navi states. Enzan and Netto moved to the medical room for scanning and Reiko went up to join Yuuichirou and Meijin.

Reiko watched with fascination as the Enzan and Netto placed their PETs into the scanners before lying in medical capsules themselves.

“So, is this just a normal physical? Or is there some kind of special procedure for their medical scans?” She asked. Both teens could hear her voice clearly, as the capsules had intercoms built into them.

“It’s mostly a normal physical, but it’s run against their previous scans, and I just check to see that there are no huge abnormalities between the two, or any dramatic shifts over time.”

“And the same for the Navis?”

“Pretty much, although as their data changes much more frequently, I have to run them both against their previous data scans as well as their Net Ops, to make sure that there aren’t any problems that can arise from any modifications made.” Yuuichirou gave a small smile, knowing full-well that the Net Saviors could hear him. “Although with you two being so experienced in customization, I rarely have any problems.”

Netto gave a thumbs up from his place and Rockman--who had materialized alongside Blues above the scanners--chipped in. “Now if only Netto-kun were as good at homework, he’d be doing a lot better.”

“H-hey!” Netto sputtered. He looked like he was about to sit up before sheepishly remembering there was a sheet of glass that would greet him painfully if he did.

Enzan watched the whole exchange from his capsule, looking mildly amused. However, his expression straightened out when Yuuichirou spoke again, this time in a serious voice.

“Okay boys… Hopefully this won’t take more than a couple hours, but just relax and I’ll try and get things finished as soon as I can.”

“No worries, Papa!” Netto replied back.

Yuuichirou laughed. “Sit still, Netto.” He began calibrating the scanners and the two Net Saviors took their last opportunity to move around and get comfortable before they would have to lie unmoving.

“All right. Beginning testing now.”

\-----

Enzan blinked his eyes open, finding himself still staring at the inside of the plexiglass capsule. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since the scans started, but he had almost dozed off while thinking about the paperwork he had to review before the day’s end.

He glanced to the side and wasn’t surprised to see that Netto had completely fallen asleep, and he gave a small sigh, deciding to listen into the conversation that was going on in the data analysis lab.

“...For the dinner parties?” Enzan only caught the second half of Meijin’s statement and he frowned a little. What exactly were they talking about?

“Oh, right. Yeah, there should be a piano in that storage room then. I don’t know where else they would put it, since it’s normally not in the main hall.” Yuuichirou was typing away, but he added to the conversation nonetheless.

‘ _Piano_?’ Something prickled in the back of Enzan’s mind, but had no idea why they had a need for a piano in a research facility.

“Oh, the storage area? I know exactly what you’re talking about!” Reiko’s voice sounded a little excited. “Do you think anyone will mind if I go…?”

“Of course not. If anything, I’m sure the person who donated the piano to the lab will be happy it’s actually getting some use.”

Enzan couldn't be completely sure, but he guessed Reiko was bored and wanted to find something to do. It struck him as a little odd--out if all the things to do in SciLab, who could possibly be thinking about music?

“Then… Any requests?” The teenage girl laughed a little, the cheery sound drawing the Net Savior out of his thoughts.

“I’m sure whatever you play will be lovely, Reiko-chan.” Yuuichirou replied kindly.

Enzan frowned a little, not sure why she would be asking for requests if the piano were on a completely different floor--there was no way the sound would carry. Unless…

A few minutes later Enzan’s speculation was answered as Reiko’s voice buzzed in over the private intercom. “Hello, can you hear me okay?”

“Loud and clear, Reiko-chan.” Meijin answered, still analyzing the scan data alongside Yuuichirou. “And I’ve thought of a request.”

“Sure, I’ll see if I have it in my library.”

“ _Fur Elise_.”

“Oh my, of _course_ I have it. Give me a moment.” There was a brief pause and all Enzan could hear was the gentle sounds of typing echoing from the scientists’ speakers.

And suddenly, there was music floating through the lab.

Enzan had never gotten into music. It wasn’t that he disliked it; rather it was the quite the opposite. However, he never had the time or extra energy to look into it. The song she was playing was one he had heard before but he never had the reason to ever remember its name until now.

Reiko’s touch was gentle and pleasant and she seemed to play effortlessly. The famous and familiar melody evolved easily into a more cheerful and fast-paced tune before sinking back and then rising again into the dramatic, ending with the original theme. It was almost like being carried away by waves and Enzan couldn’t help but be impressed with her obvious musical talent.

Once she had finished the piece, Meijin paused in his typing to clap. “Reiko-chan, I had no idea you were so musically inclined.”

“Ahaha, well… I’ve had a lot of time to practice.” Her voice was embarrassed, but she was in no way denying her skill. “Any other requests?”

“After that? I’m pretty sure we would be fine listening to anything.” Yuuichirou offered jokingly.

Enzan couldn’t help but agree.

Reiko hummed a little and after a few moments she began playing again. This piece was also gentle and a flash of a memory suddenly echoed in Enzan’s mind--an elevator, with Yuuichirou standing beside him.

The first funding meeting.

‘ _So it was Hikari-chan, that firstday_?’ Enzan’s thoughts were sluggish and he realized he was dozing off. ' _Well, I guess that explains why Hikari-hakase got so worked up..._ ' He let himself rest, knowing that he would be up most of the night finishing paperwork. Somewhere in his sleepy haze he was aware that Reiko had finished her second piece and had moved into a third.

This one sounded infinitely more complicated and contained many flowing notes that seemed impossibly difficult to play. Enzan heard Yuuichirou remark while Reiko was playing but was too tired to understand what he had said, instead choosing to focus on the melody resounding in his medical capsule.

\-----

“Enzan-kun.”

Enzan’s eyes snapped open and he was met with Yuuichirou staring down kindly at him. “The tests are all done.”

“A-ah.” Enzan sat up and blinked several times, chasing sleep away from his brain. He hadn’t intended to fall completely asleep, but it looks like he had. He pushed away his embarrassment by reaching for his PET, where Blues was already waiting. A glance to his left showed that Netto was still snoring away in his medical capsule and he made a face, hoping that he hadn’t looked like that while he was asleep.

“All the test results came back clear, so you’re free to go.” The scientist commented, following Enzan’s gaze. “I’ll wake Netto up a little later once I’ve finished saving all my reports.”

“Right,” Enzan hadn’t particularly cared, but he shrugged and hoisted himself out of the capsule. He glanced around for the bag he had taken, eager to change out of the stiff medical gown and back into his normal wear. “Thank you, Hikari-hakase.”

“Of course. See you soon, Enzan-kun.”

\------

Enzan left the SciLab bathroom, the hospital gown slung over his arm. He felt refreshed, having splashed water on his face to alleviate any remaining exhaustion that remained from his nap.

“Hi, Ijuuin-kun. Heading back to the lab?”

He turned and gave Reiko a small nod. The two walked in silence before Enzan decided to speak up.

“You play really well.”

Reiko brightened at his compliment. “Ah, thank you… I practiced a lot when I was recovering in the hospital.”

Enzan pursed his lips. “The hospital... You mean, after…”

Reiko’s smile turned a little sad. “Yeah, after my parents’ deaths. My left leg was in really bad shape, so I had to stay in the hospital a long time to get rehabilitated… I spent a lot of time learning all sorts of music. Actually... I think music was what really helped my condition improve.”

“I see.” Enzan pushed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know a lot about music, but it was a pleasure to listen to.”

“I’m glad I could be of service.” She replied back, the cheer returning to her gaze.

Enzan found himself smiling a little, too. “The last piece you played, the one that starts off really quickly… What’s it called?”

“Oh, that?” Reiko pulled out her PET and displayed the name and composer for him. “It’s a pretty well-known piece called _Fantasie Impromptu_ , and it was composed by Chopin. I still haven’t gotten it all the way up to speed, but I think if I keep practicing it I’ll be able to keep up with the professional’s tempo!”

Enzan gave a nod, tucking the bit of information in the back of his mind for future reference--if he ever had the occasion to look up music, he'd remember that one first. "It sounds fantastic already, in my opinion."

Reiko looked a little embarrassed, but she kept smiling nonetheless. A voice drew them out of the pleasant moment, and Enzan looked up to see Netto waving enthusiastically at them.

"Reiko, Enzan!" Netto had also changed back into his normal clothes. "Meijin-san wants to talk to us about something."

The two exchanged a glance before following Netto back into the medical facility. After Enzan returned the hospital gown to Yuuichirou, the three teens headed over to Meijin.

"Netto, Enzan. You two are both going with Laika to the international conference next week, right?"

Netto perked up immediately. "Yeah, we'll be representing the Net Saviors in the uh... What was it again?"

"Public Security Division," Enzan replied. After seeing the expression on the young scientist's face, he gave a frown. "But I thought you would be accompanying us."

Meijin shook his head. "That was originally the plan. However, I've been called out to Ameroupe to do some field work. So, since I won't be able to come with you, I've decided to leave a SciLab assistant with the job."

Reiko was listening to the conversation quietly, until Meijin gave her a pointed look. "Hm?" She looked taken aback. "Wait, _me_?! But I... A conference? I-I..."

Meijin laughed, giving her a cuff on the shoulder. "It's nothing to be worried about. The conference is just a social event--you won't have to do anything besides show up and look professional."

He gave Netto a short glance before continuing. "Reiko-chan, you already know most of the ins and outs of SciLab, and I can easily teach you everything about dimensional areas before you leave."

Reiko still looked flustered. "Well, I... I mean, if you say so..." She gave in, knowing she probably wouldn't have a choice in the matter. "I don't want to cause problems..."

"Nonsense, this will be a walk in the park. I know Enzan and Laika will have no trouble at all holding their own in an event like this."

Enzan gave a short nod. He'd been to more than his fair share of dinner parties and guest conferences. And Laika was a member of the military--this would be a walk in the park.

Given one glaring, overly-excitable and loud exception.

"Hey! What about me?" Netto hung his shoulders in a melodramatic show that did nothing for his case.

"Err..." Meijin turned back to Reiko. "You'll be fine, I know you will."


	11. Enter Laika!

"Ijuuin-kun, over here!"

Reiko raised her arm, signaling to the white-haired teen from her spot next to Netto. She stood, tugging at her pencil skirt and adjusting the frills on the front of her collared sea-green blouse. "Netto, quit messing with your tie." She reprimanded lightly.

The brunette gave his cousin a deadpan look that was almost hidden beneath the bangs that were hanging over his face. He brushed them aside, looking annoyed. "I just want my normal clothes..." He complained, gesturing at the dress shirt, tie, and slacks he had been forced into earlier that morning. "Couldn't they at least let me keep my headband?"

Reiko made a funny noise in the back of her throat. "Do you know how silly it'd look with the rest of your outfit? Quit whining... At least you don't have to wear heels." She added the last part as a mumble, glancing down at her feet.

Enzan had finally made his way over to the bickering relatives. Netto gave him a once over and noted with mild disdain that Enzan didn't look fazed in the least by the outfit change.

"And you're even wearing an entire suit!" Netto exclaimed, completely foregoing a greeting. "Ugh, isn't it uncomfortable in that?"

Enzan blinked, easily guessing the context of the conversation. He adjusted his dark blazer, shrugging. "You get used to it."

Netto made a face. He had forgotten that with Enzan's responsibilities as IPC's vice president, he probably had to wear a suit fairly regularly. "Eyrrgh."

Enzan smirked at Netto's discomfort. ' _Hey, at least we guys don't have to deal with heels_.' The amusing thought crossed his mind, but he decided to hold his tongue.

"Oh, there's Laika! Heeey!" Netto--apparently having forgotten his annoyance--leapt to his feet, waving wildly and raising his voice louder than was socially acceptable.

Enzan and Reiko exchanged exasperated looks as Laika--who also seemed irked by the enthusiasm--headed over.

Reiko straightened up as soon as Laika was in front of her, her posture and speech formal. Enzan was reminded of their first legitimate introduction and he gave a tiny smile.

"Hello, my name is Hikari Reiko and I'm going to be representing SciLab with you."

The taller teen gave a nod. Unlike Netto and Enzan--who were dressed incredibly different from their normal wear--he had simply donned a slightly more formal version of his normal uniform. "Laika. Thank you for your trouble."

The four teenagers departed from their meeting spot, heading towards the conference while exchanging small talk. It didn't take long for them to arrive to the hotel where the event was being held and Reiko easily checked them in with an air of shaky, but otherwise perfect formality.

They were then led to the main hall, where other groups and corporations were gathering. Enzan and Laika had no trouble keeping their expressions passive, and while Reiko was amazed at all the decorum she managed to be subtle about sneaking looks around.

Netto was an entirely different story, though. "Uwaaah, this place is HUGE!"

"Netto-kun, keep your voice down!" Thankfully none of the other teens had to reprimand their ecstatic companion, as Rockman already had it covered.

"Oh, right. But still, this is really cool!" Netto lowered his voice, but still tugged on Reiko's arm excitedly, pointing up at the ceiling, where a fantastic chandelier hung. Reiko smiled and nodded, her eyes glimmering with awe, but she was doing a much better job keeping calm.

The teens continued to wander, occasionally being greeted by other guests. After the first few encounters were handled smoothly, Reiko seemed to relax, realizing the job she had been given wasn't as difficult as she might have imagined.

It wasn't long before the grand hall became crowded and the teens wordlessly migrated towards the tables where fancy snacks and beverages were set out. After Netto received a pointed reminder from Rockman about only taking a few things and not "pigging out", the four took their tiny plates and hovered around an empty, chairless table.

Normally in these types of engagements, Enzan was obligated to reach out to various guests and interact, but with Reiko "in charge" and looking perfectly content with letting the adults come to them, he wasn't going to complain.

It would be another half hour of lingering before the group became aware that the atmosphere in the hall changed.

"...Yeah, I've been working with Oji-chan for a while and--" Reiko paused in her conversation with Laika, looking around with a frown.

Laika had also been distracted and Enzan--who had been listening in--elbowed Netto to get his attention.

There was a confused chatter filling the grand hall and Enzan squinted as he realized something was wrong. He turned and saw the same realization on Laika's face, but before he could comment on it he jumped as Reiko let out a loud squeal.

"Wh-what the?!" Reiko had vanished in a flood of pixels that Enzan immediately recognized as her logging in. But that would mean…

"A dimensional area?!" Netto, finally catching up to the situation, let out a startled shout.

"Why did one activate now?!" Rhythm had materialized, her eyes wide.

Laika's shocked expression at seeing her transform instantaneously before him was a sight to behold but Enzan disregarded it, pulling his PET out of his suit coat. "Blues?"

"Someone has hacked the system, Enzan-sama."

Laika--regaining his composure--also had his PET in hand. "Searchman, can you locate the source of the interference?"

"Yes, sir. It appears to be in the security room, on the 4th floor."

"Guys, we have bigger problems!!" Rhythm grabbed Enzan and Netto's shoulders, spinning them around and pointing.

The guests had flown into a panic and it was obvious why: viruses had materialized in the grand hall.

"Tch," Enzan already had his synchro chip and he gave a nod at Netto and Laika, who were ready beside him. Rhythm--not needing any cue, had assumed a defensive position in front of them, ready to protect the trio from any oncoming attacks.

"Synchro chip, slot in!" Three voices rang out clearly over the din of shouts and the buzz of the viruses. "Cross fusion!!"

Seconds later, the three Net Saviors began decimating the viruses. The other guests all grouped together, looking frightened.

"Laika, can you locate the source and take it out?" Enzan asked.

Laika paused in his shooting, glancing around the hall, his sensor on overdrive. He suddenly pointed his gun at the ceiling, but lowered it after a moment, frowning. "Not from here, no. It's too far."

"We'll clear a path and leave it to you, then." Rhythm stepped up. "Netto, can you get the guests into the hall? It'll be easier to defend than this huge space."

"On it!"

Laika paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as the girl gave orders but after a moment he nodded, apparently deeming her commands satisfactory.

Enzan and Rhythm redoubled their efforts to clear out the viruses from around the exit and they could hear Netto shouting orders to the guests, who fearfully obeyed the teen and fled as a single, terrified mass.

"Hikari-chan, don't get yourself into trouble." Enzan told Rhythm. Her attacks were much sloppier and slower than his, and he could tell just by watching her that she had several blind spots and openings that could prove dangerous.

"R-right!"

The entire building suddenly trembled violently and the room was filled with shrieks and cries. Enzan stumbled slightly but kept his footing and he turned to see Rhythm clamoring to her feet. He also glanced up warily, taking note of the chandelier, which had begun to sway dangerously. 

The tremor also seemed to throw off the viruses and with a fierce swipe of his blade and two well-aimed shots by Rhythm, the path was clear and Laika launched himself forward, clearing the rest of the enemies with ease.

Rhythm caught her discs easily, glancing over her shoulder. "The guests are clear, Ijuuin-kun!"

And not a moment too soon. The building shook again and there was a massive crack as the doorway Netto had just sprinted through gave way. Enzan and Rhythm only had enough time to catch a glimpse of his worried expression before the rubble crashed down, trapping them in the grand hall.

"Damn," Enzan hoped Laika would be able to handle the foe before the entire building collapsed on top of them. He kept to the sides of the room now, still very much aware of the chandelier. Was it just him or had it sunk closer to the ground?

No time to think about that. Without the guests to worry about, Enzan was able to unleash a barrage of slashes and take out viruses en masse. He let out a frustrated noise when he saw Rhythm getting overwhelmed and leapt over another swarm to land at her side. “Hey, be careful! You’re leaving yourself wide open! Just stay behind me, okay?”

“I… I’m trying!” Her voice was pitched in protest and exertion, but she turned and followed his orders.

Enzan let loose, his movements practiced and precise as he dealt blow after blow to the clouds of viruses in front of him. Even with his advanced technique and countless hours of practice, it took several minutes for him to finally see the number of enemies decrease despite his constant stream of attacks.

It wasn’t until he had made his way to the other side of the room that a thought crossed his mind. As he deleted what he hoped to be the last of the viruses and whipped around, he froze when he spotted Rhythm still fighting in the center--directly underneath the swinging chandelier.

It was almost too cliche--Enzan figured things like this only happened in crappy, melodramatic movies. He swore as another earsplitting crack resounded throughout the room and he didn’t even need to look to know that the massive ceiling ornament had finally detached itself from the ceiling.

She wouldn’t see it coming. Rhythm was too concerned with the last of the viruses to even bother checking her surroundings. Perhaps she was fast enough to pull up a barrier, but if she didn’t even know of the danger descending towards her there was no way she could protect herself.

“Shit…!” Enzan did the only thing he could do: he put on a burst of speed and tackled her with all the strength he had. He hoped that he had enough force to ram the both of them out of harm’s way, but lamented when a blindingly sharp pain flashed behind his eyes and his vision was plunged into darkness.

The last thing he heard was a deafening crash and a high-pitched ringing in his ears.

“ _ Ijuuin-kun _ !”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha... Heeeeeey everyone... It's been two years! After a lot of personal struggles and stuff I decided to come back to this account, where I had completely forgotten I had this piece as an ongoing project!!
> 
> I apologize to anyone who might have been wanting to keep up with the story (not sure if anyone had or not, since no one really commented or said anything about it...) but here we are, with a new chapter! This one ends on a bad cliffhanger so lets hope I have enough motivation to not leave any of my readers out on a limb like that...

**Author's Note:**

> All characters--with the exceptions of Reiko Hikari, Rhythm.EXE, Yuuta Hikari, and Kazuna Hikari--belong to Capcom. Please do not use my characters without asking for permission first.


End file.
